


Cherry Blossoms

by ThatEmoGinger



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Genre: Hanahaki Disease, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, My First Fanfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-05 19:43:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19047106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatEmoGinger/pseuds/ThatEmoGinger
Summary: If one had to describe it, they’d call it a wolf pack; one goes down and the rest go into protective mode. They all love each other, whether it be the brotherly love between the four of them, or the type of love between Pete and Patrick, something that hasn’t been worked out yet between Joe and Andy.Joe doesn’t usually take the role of the angel of the group to most people, but to Andy, he might as well have sprouted feathery wings and a golden halo.OR: Andy has the Hanahaki disease and feelings get discovered





	Cherry Blossoms

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thanks for checking out my fic, let me know of any edits or ways to improve!
> 
>  
> 
> \- More A/Ns at the end

 

When one thinks of the word “crush”, they may think of a high school flame or even a middle school fling. Most people don’t think of a full-grown man covered head to toe in tattoos having a crush. Most people are also not in a band with three other men under 6’ and between the ages of 34 and 39. To put it simply, most people are not Andy Hurley.

 

They’re all sitting in the tour bus, driving to a different venue, another stop on the MANIA tour. Pete’s in his all-too-small bunk, blasting Muse and writing down thoughts he isn’t sure what to do with, as usual. Patrick’s sleeping because it’s only 11 and all know not to wake up a sleeping Stump, or risk bodily harm. And no one is wishing that upon themselves. Joe’s taking a shower, taking forever with shampooing his hair.  Andy is sitting in the cramped “lounge” space. It’s tiny to say the least. He’s catching up on some game he found in the app store, a cup of herbal tea steaming next to him.

 

All in all, Andy Hurley would call himself a pretty healthy person overall. All of that vegan-straightedge-CrossFit stuff seems to pay off. It’s not so alarming when he coughs a little, just a tickle. It begins to alarm him when he takes a sip of tea and looks down to see a delicate, cherry blossom- looking petal floating on the top of his drink. Surprised, he glances around and it becomes clear that a petal didn’t fly through a window or magically appear out of thin air. Naturally, he’s a little shocked. He’s coughing again and finds a few more, small petals, varying in size and color. Now he’s a little scared. Cue a quiet knock on the wood supports of Pete’s bunk.

 

Pete quiets his music and removes his earbuds. This better be good. Besides not waking a sleeping Stump, it’s also a given rule not to disturb Pete during his thought-vomit sessions. Pulling the curtain back, he sees Andy holding a mug of now cooled tea in his right hand and something balled up in his left fist.

 

“I think something’s wrong”, He says in a quiet voice, showing Pete his mug with the petal and unfurling his fist, showing the small collection of other petals.

 

Pete stares with wide eyes.

 

“Shit Andy, how long? How did it start?” Pete asks, climbing down from his bunk.

 

“A few minutes ago, I started coughing and there was this little petal,” He says as Pete inspects the petals, “and I don’t know what’s going on. Do you know what this is?”

 

“It’s this thing called the Hanahaki disease. It’s where the victim, in this case you, coughs up petals and eventually flowers. It means that you must like someone, but they haven’t returned your affections or they don’t know about it. The only way to fix this is for you to tell them,” Pete explains as gently as he can. He’s now genuinely scared for his friend.

 

With this, Andy’s a bright pink-red shade, something rare in contrast to his usually calm and collected demeanor. “And if I don’t tell them?”

 

Pete sighs. “If you don’t tell them, the flowers will eventually suffocate you. You’ll die, Andy. The only other way is to get them surgically removed, but that’d take away your feelings for that person as well.”

 

Pete watched as Andy was struck with the realization.

 

“You don’t have to tell me who it is, but you need to at least tell them.” The bassist comforted, reaching a hand to the drummer’s back as he was overcome with another coughing fit, petals floating gently to the floor.

 

“Boy, Hurley, might want to get that checked out at the venue” Joe called from the shower.

 

While Pete and Patrick had already gone public as a “thing”, Andy hadn’t even told Joe of his feelings. Andy has had feelings for Joe for a while now, masked in the regular playful banter and teasing touches. Andy had a crush on Joe for many reasons, his sense of humor, his kindness, all the normal stuff. What he admired most was how when he and Joe were left alone, and Pete and Patrick had gone to do…things… it was never awkward. In a crowded room of strangers, Andy could always feel comfortable with Joe, he could feel special. Despite this, Andy was thoroughly convinced that Joe didn’t share his feelings. Learning of this disease, his suspicions were somewhat confirmed. Either Joe doesn’t reciprocate his feelings or Joe is not aware of his affections. To be straight (unlike our four love birds) Andy isn’t that obvious with his affections.

 

“I- I think I’m going to lay down,” He said, Pete taking the flowers and his abandoned tea. Andy hurried off to the back room, Patrick having fallen asleep in one of the back bunks. He collapsed onto the bed, coughing up more petals, and tried to get comfortable. Maybe it’s all just a nightmare.

 

Leaving Andy to come to terms with the current situation, Pete sets the tea down on a counter in the “lounge”, still holding the petals. He decides to wake up Patrick; it’s important, like life-or-death important.

 

“Patrick, Trick wake up” He says, voice a little over a whisper. Pete shakes Patrick’s shoulder until he groans, turning and blinking away the remains of his sleep.

 

“Patrick, it’s Andy. He has the disease, the flower one,” is all Pete has to say before Patrick’s up, taking the flower petals from his boyfriend’s hand.

 

“He said that it just started today, but he’s shaken up about it. How long do you think he’ll last before he has to say?” Pete asked. Patrick knew more about Hanahaki than he did.

 

“I’d say a few weeks, but that’s pushing it. It depends on how strong his affections are. He has to confess to whoever it is” Patrick explained, examining the petals.

 

“B-But he’ll be okay, right? He just has to confess in time?” Pete was now the one startled. He loved Andy like a brother.

 

Patrick let out a sigh. “He just has to make it in time, but no one knows exactly when that time expires. We’ll just have to help him come to terms with it and tell whoever it is.”

 

A long moment of silence overcame the two as Pete rested his forehead against Patrick’s shoulder, ending in a one-sided hug. This was going to be a long couple of weeks.

 

They both heard the faucet shut off and Joe stepped out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist. “What’s up with Andy? He didn’t sound all that great.” He questioned, concerned as he searched for a set of clean clothes.

 

“You know what Hanahaki is, right?” Patrick offered.

 

Joe froze.

 

He knew exactly what Hanahaki was and it scared him. He’d heard horror stories of people suffering from it, all because of love.

 

“Will he make it through tonight?” He asked, trying to calm himself.

 

“He should be alright, it just started, we just have to figure out who it is, so we can help him.” Patrick answered, releasing Pete to comfort his other distraught bandmate. “We’ll get him through this. He’ll be alright.”

 

“Yeah, he’ll be okay”

 

 

 

They perform the show as usual, Pete, Patrick and Joe all exchanging worried glances with each other as Andy pounds out each song. They don’t jump into each song as quickly, giving Andy a chance to catch up and cough a bit, flower petals fluttering onto his kit. He brushes them off quickly and grabs his bottle of water.

 

‘Just a few more songs. It’ll be alright.’

 

 

 

And that’s how the next few weeks of shows go, longer breaks and worried looks. Joe, Pete and Patrick are all especially protective of Andy after shows, escorting him quickly back to the bus. They take turns keeping an ear out for if anything gets worse, if the coughing fits are suddenly cut off.

 

Thankfully, Andy remains, but over the week, his conditions worsen. He becomes more and more tired, usually only up for shows and whatever food the other boys can coax him into eating. The coughing fits become more frequent, more and more petals with each round. Small flowers begin appearing with their petals dotted with droplets of blood.

Of the three of them, Joe is the most worried, the most frightened for Andy. He feels useless, trapped in a state of watching his best friend suffer but being unable to do anything about it.

 

Whenever they can, they all push Andy to just tell the person, using different methods.

 

 Pete promises to make whoever Andy loves reciprocate his feelings, regardless of whether “making them” is legal or not.

Patrick’s gentler, assuring Andy that whoever he loves most likely likes him as well.

Joe takes a different approach. He doesn’t push him to tell whoever it is.

 

Most scenarios between Joe and Andy go a little like this:

Andy curls inward in another wave of coughs, petals fluttering to the floor. Joe’s right there next to him, rubbing his back gently and whispering whatever calming words he can think of.

“We all care about you, love you like a brother. Whenever you’re ready, tell them. And if they don’t love you in the same way, well they’re probably not human. It’ll be alright, we’ll get through this. Whenever you’re ready”

 

Joe doesn’t usually take the role of the angel of the group to most people, but to Andy, he might as well have sprouted feathery wings and a golden halo.

 

 

 

It’s been a month or so and Andy’s only gotten worse. Even Patrick has started to lose it, scared for the life of one of his best friends. Somehow, Joe has appeared to remain calm.

 

On the inside, he’s the most terrified of all of them. He stays up every night, listening for Andy and sitting with him, weathering the storm. It’s escalated into vomiting, which consists of Joe rubbing between his shoulder blades, Pete calling whatever doctors he can find and Patrick diligently bringing cups of water and wetting wash cloths. Most of these nights end with Joe carrying Andy off to the back room where he lays the ill boy down and tucks him in before sitting guard near the bed. Pete and Patrick lay awake until Patrick usually calms Pete down enough for the both of them to fall into a restless sleep.

 

It takes a toll on all of them to say the least. If one had to describe it, they’d call it a wolf pack; one goes down and the rest go into protective mode. They all love each other, whether it be the brotherly love between the four of them, or the type of love between Pete and Patrick, something that hasn’t been worked out yet between Joe and Andy.

 

 

 

They’re at a show in Minnesota and it’s, in Joe’s words, “fuckin’ freezing”.  Andy insists on playing the show, but Pete, Patrick and Joe promise to make him take a break after this one. They can’t go on like this.

 

It’s at the part of the show where Patrick’s doing his acoustic version of Young and Menace while the crew sets up for the second half of the show. Joe, Pete and Andy are back stage, trying to relax as much as possible. The coughing has become a routine by now. Not a good one of course, but something they’re oddly used to.

 

This fit’s especially bad, Andy’s doubled over, medium-sized flowers tumbling down along with and covered in blood.

 

Joe gives Pete a petrified look.

 

“Get Patrick, we’re taking him to a hospital”

 

To say Pete has never run faster in his life is an understatement.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Joe holds Andy by the shoulders, trying to calm him as much as he can with soothing words and gentle touches. Tears leak from Andy’s eyes as he coughs, unable to breathe. 

 

 

 

And then he goes limp, knees buckling as he goes crashing to the floor, Joe catching him before he hits the cold tile. Joe has never experienced anything more terrifying in his life as he carries the smaller man to the nearest couch, trembling himself but trying to stay calm as to not drop him. Andy’s breaths are shallow and uneven as he lays unconscious on the couch, his head in Joe’s lap. The guitarist is calling 911, explaining everything he can to the operator through tears because he’s lost it. He isn’t going to watch one of his best friends, the boy he’s developed feelings for, die right before him.

 

Pete runs out onto the stage as Patrick finishes up the song, thanking the crowd. Pete grabs the singer by the arm, pulling him from the microphone.

 

“It’s Andy”

 

Without another word, they’re both running backstage, Patrick handing his guitar to the nearest tech, asking them to tell the crowd that they’re sorry and that they’re experiencing an emergency. When the pair find Joe and Andy, Joe has Andy in his arms and is carrying him out the back exit of the venue. An ambulance waits for them and the 3 pile in with the unconscious boy pried away from Joe.

 

No one tries to stop them from getting in.

 

They sob, choked off cries of anguish for their brother. Patrick has curled into Pete, relinquishing his calm demeanor and crying into his partner’s shirt. Joe’s curled into himself, holding onto Andy’s hand for dear life. Thoughts race through Joe’s head as he watches the hospital personnel poke needles and use medical terms, he doesn’t know nor really wants to know.

 

‘This isn’t the end. There’s so much more for us to do, so many more stupid jokes and knowing looks. There’s so much more for me to say’

 

 

 

When they reach the hospital, the hurry Andy off on a gurney. He still hasn’t woken up and has taken on a sickly pallor. Patrick’s sobs have dwindled off to quiet hiccups as he’s all but carried by Pete out of the ambulance and into the building. Joe’s right there with Andy, going as far as they will allow him.

 

The doctors explain that they will assess his condition and do what they can, but he’s reached a stage where he has to confess his feelings. Even the simple summary is lost to the three, falling on deaf ears. Regardless, they all know what has to happen. Either that or the flowers will be surgically removed, something the drummer has already showed a disapproval for. There’s really one option now.

 

 

 

When Andy is checked into a room, the three are called back to see him. Upon entering the room, Pete chokes back another round of tears, and is held by Patrick. Joe goes in last, racing to Andy’s bedside and taking his hand as gently as he can. The drummer’s tattoos stand out against his paper-white skin and he looks impossibly small beneath the sheets.

 

 Patrick and Pete step back out, going to sit in the hallway and leaving Joe and Andy alone.

 

Joe watches Andy quietly, who squeezes the guitarist’s hand gently.

 

“Hey”

 

“Hey”

 

“It’s now or never, Andy. We’ve waited this out as long as we could but we’re reaching the time limit on this thing.” Joe says quietly, rubbing a thumb against the other’s hand.

 

A long pause lies between the two like a blanket before Andy breaks into another round of coughs. Joe’s hand flies to his back, rubbing gently and doing what he can to comfort the older boy, as he’d been doing for the past weeks. Petals, flowers and blood cover the thin hospital sheets as the coughs continue to rack his frame.

 

This is it.

 

Joe’s about to yell for a nurse when he hears the raspy voice beside him

 

“I-It’s you. I-I never told you because I was s-scared you’d hate me, or it’d ruin the band or...” Andy confesses, dissolving into another round of coughs.

Joe’s in shock. He’s the one Andy’s had affections for, affections so strong that he’s been coughing up entire flowers for.

 

“I- I love you, Andy Hurley.”

 

 It's barely heard over the coughs but it's understood as Joe is overcome with relief.

 

"Shhh, it's alright. It's over, no more flowers, I'm right here and it's all going to be okay"

Joe isn't sure if he's trying to reassure himself or Andy more.

 

Between their sobs, Andy is able to croak out a few words.

 

“I love you, too”

As the coughing ceases, Andy leans into Joe's embrace, who holds him like Joe's life depends on it.

 

"I'm sorry. If I'd told you sooner this wouldn't have happened and I-"

 

The guitarist quiets him with slow circles on his back and whispered comforts.

 

"You don't ever have to apologize for any of this. All that matters is that you're okay, love."

 

They fall asleep with Andy’s head pillowed on Joe’s chest, arms encircling the smaller boy.

 

 

 

When Pete and Patrick walk in preparing for the worst, they're greeted with a great sense of relief and Pete lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Patrick turns and hugs him before they move to sit at the foot of the bed and eventually doze off together.

 

 

 

\--

(Epilogue?)

 

Fall Out Boy canceled the remainder of their tour, opting to take time and heal from the events of the weeks.

They all decide to camp at Pete's house, slowly moving personal possessions (which were not already there) in.

 

In the aftermath, Joe became protective of Andy, terrified for either of them to have to go anything near that ordeal. Andy protests but appreciates the guitarist's efforts, his feelings taking over.

 

Pete and Patrick worry about Andy but trust that Joe would take care of the drummer in any circumstance

 

“Pizza tonight? I’ll call it in” Patrick shouts from the kitchen.

 

 Pete’s already set up camp in the living room, the tv playing whatever it was playing when it was last on. Joe and Andy make their way to the couch, Pete having moved to join his boyfriend in the kitchen.

 

When they left the hospital, Joe carried a sleeping Andy out to the tour bus, which had been driven to the hospital. They had all climbed in and ended up all curled into the back-room bed, one big family.

 

Now, Andy and Joe laid on the couch, lazily kissing as Pete and Patrick sorted out the pizza situation and eventually resolving to watching their two best friends for a bit before making quiet conversation.

 

That evening, Pete and Patrick had gone up to their room, leaving the other couple on the couch watching some old movie rerun.

 

Andy looked up at Joe with a smile.

 

“Hey”

 

“Hey”

 

“We’re alright, right?”

 

“We’re alright. And whatever happens, we’re in it together”

 

“I love you”

 

“Love you too”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my first work posted! I've been writing and editing and rewriting this fic for months and never got up the courage to post until now. I've never written hanahaki before but I tried to base this off of other works from this fandom and other fandoms. I have another fic that's more peterick centric and it's the first one I ever wrote but I'm not sure if I should post it. Criticism greatly appreciated as well as any requests!
> 
> Also check out my tumblr for random rants and reblogs: Introverted-emo-child


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